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Week 10: March 28 – April 4, 2014
Guiding and fishing the best beats on the best sea-run brown trout river in the world is a luxury. Every morning brings a heightened sense of anticipation, knowing the big-fish potential that lies within reach of every good cast. This is why I love the Rio Grande. And this season has been one of the best in recent memory.Weather was generally tough. It was windy through late March. And during a couple of days we registered nuking speeds of up to 75 MPH! The river was low and clear during this time and factors such as sunlight, time of the day, cloud cover, water speed, and angler skill had to be weighed carefully in order to achieve results.Thankfully, the river was kind. Villa Maria anglers, for instance, landed 1,479 fish weighing more than 5 pounds; 402 fish weighing more than 15 pounds; and 119 were over 20 pounds. We also landed 3 fish over 30 pounds: Two males weighing 33 and 32 pounds, and a chrome female that stretched the scale to 30 pounds.Other staggering statistics included: 10 weeks of 90+ fish caught, while 147 sea runs were landed during our best week of the season.These successes wouldn’t have been possible without our expert guide staff: Jason Jagger, Alejandro Bianchetti, Gaston Guglielminetti, and Alejandro Aloras. It was a superb effort all around! You showed professionalism, experience, great attitudes, and unwavering patience, and I hope to see you all again next season!In addition, I’d like to thank all the guests that listened to our advice and put the skills we preached to work on the river. I was fortunate to share time on the water with many of you, and it’s always a pleasure to guide fisherman that I truly consider friends.Finally, I want to thank Andres, Claudio, Florencia, Alejandro, Erika, and Alejandra for making our lives easier and doing a terrific job with the guests. See you all next year.Total Number of Fish: 1,479Fish Over 20lbs: 119Fish Over 15lbs: 402Alejandro MartelloFishing ManagerVilla Maria Lodge -
Week 9: March 21-28, 2014
Typical March weather on the Rio Grande is marked by cold morning temperatures, cool afternoons, and low winds. But when you fish a subpolar region like Patagonia, you have to be prepared for anything.
Last week was just one of those weeks: rain, snow storms in the Andes, and strong winds—which resulted in a rising, off-color Rio Grande. To combat the conditions, we fished heavy sink tips and big colorful flies. At least 15 feet of T14 (and sometimes T17/T18 tips attatched to skagit lines) was the best option. These setups were easy to cast in the strong winds, and powerful enough to turn over big and bushy streamers.
Our guests included a mix of anglers experienced with single-handed rods. They were also open to learning the intracacies of two-handed rod fishing… and the results were pretty good! Every rod caught at least one fish over 20 pounds. And Jean Daniel managed to land two fish in the 26-pound range.
The fish were not taking short. Which was good news. And our sea trout continue to smash leeches in varying color combinations. Black/yellow, black/chartreuse, and black/orange worked great, but the best performers were leeches in chartreuse, or bright orange.
Largest fish of the week: 26 lbs.
Fish over 20 lbs: 8
Fish over 15 lbs: 17
Alejandro Martello
Villa Maria Lodge Fishing Manage
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Week 8: March 14 – 21, 2014.
Weather during the past week has been unseasonably tough. With snow storm hitting the Andes, we started our sessions with unusual freezing temperatures and a layer of thin ice lining the river banks in the early morning hours. Over the next two days, our high-elevation snow melted and the river rose about 10 inches.
Despite the spike in flows, water clarity remained good… other than the load of weeds and algae being carried downstream. Employing heavy sinking tips and big colorful flies to reach fish in the deepest runs became the name of the game. And we once again found success.
Bruno M., a veteran at Villa Maria who’s visited us twice this season, landed two spectacular fish in the 26-pound category, as well as several more double-digit fish.
By the end of the week, the river was on the drop and picked up color in the process. Due to the cold and murky conditions, fish were taking short. These non-committal “eats” often lead to lost fish. And many of those we landed were just barely hooked in the top of the mouth.
Skagit lines with T14 sinking tips continue to prevail. Successful flies included leeches and Intruder-style patterns in chartreuse, black/purple, black/yellow, black/chartreuse, and orange. Think bright and BIG!
Largest fish of the week: 32 lbs.
Fish over 20 lbs: 7
Fish over 15 lbs: 35
Alejandro Martello
Villa Maria Lodge Fishing Manager
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Week 7: March 7-14, 2014
March is here and we can feel it in the air. The weather has turned cooler, autumn is upon us, and we’re seeing colorful male fish and a mix of chromers still streaming into the system.
This past week we welcomed a group of experienced salmon fishers visiting the Rio Grande for the first time. They did exceptionally well. For example, Ian landed 5 fish weighing more than 20 pounds. His biggest was a 32 pounder! Amazing.
The first 3 days of the week brought freezing nights and cold days that made water temperatures drop dramatically. We also had some rain and strong winds (up to 93km/h). The water came up, but it remained mostly clear.
These conditon forced us to change techniques. Skagit setups with T14 tips are the new name of the game. And leeches in black, black/purple, black/yellow, and black/chartreuse have been the top producing patterns.
Despite some harsh weather and a steep learning curve for our first-timers, this was one of the most productive weeks so far. Well done guys!
For now, great fishing on the Rio Grande continues—and we will keep working hard to make this the best season ever for our guests.
Largest fish of the week: 32 lbs.
Fish over 20 lbs: 11
Fish over 15 lbs: 39
Alejandro Martello
Villa Maria Lodge Fishing Manager
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Week 6: February 15-22, 2014.
The fishing was great both during the day and in the afternoons, with lower light conditions. 20lbs+ fish seemed eager to take our flies at every moment. In this respect, it was noon when long time client, Dave ML, landed the biggest fish of the week, a 28lbs silver fresh hen, when the temperature was at 17 celcius degrees and a very mild breeze was just breaking the surface helping us to mask the landing of both line and fly.
Another brilliant week is gone. The group this time, was conformed by long time repeaters (3 of them are in Villa Maria Lodge´s Wall of Fame as catchers of the biggest fish of the season) and new comers. Before leaving, all of them had to agree on something: this was their best fishing week ever in the Rio Grande!The weather and river conditions remained the same as the prior weeks, with typical Rio Grande weather: sunny, very windy and mild to cold temperatures. Wind kept blowing hard and steady along the whole day and night (up to 45 mph, W direction) with the exception of the last days of the week when it blowed softly and upstream (from the East), making casting and catching a little more difficult.
The fishing was great both during the day and in the afternoons, with lower light conditions. 20lbs+ fish seemed eager to take our flies at every moment. In this respect, it was noon when long time client, Dave ML, landed the biggest fish of the week, a 28lbs silver fresh hen, when the temperature was at 17 celcius degrees and a very mild breeze was just breaking the surface helping us to mask the landing of both line and fly.
Sink tips were mandatory as the days remained very sunny (added to the low water condition) and the fish looked for shelter in the deeper pools where they stayed deep most of the day. The best options, still, where the skagit lines with short and heavy tips with sinking rates up to 9 ips.
In what respects to flies, the classic are still going strong. Yuk Bugs, Pepe´s nymph, wonder bugs, prince nymphs and leeches were the most succesful ones.
We are still waiting for some rain to stir things up a bit but the forcast says that we will have more sun and wind along the next weeks.
Largest fish of the week, 28 lbs.
Fish over 20 lbs: 18
Fish over 15 lbs: 39
Alejandro Martello
Villa Maria Lodge Fishing Manager
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Week 5: February 7-13, 2014
The Rio Grande’s reputation as the premier sea-run brown fishery in the world is no secret. But it remains a river that offers surprises week after week. Even for the most experienced guides and fishermen, nothing is to be taken for granted. And just when we thought we’d had an unbeatable week, we had an even better one! The story continues to evolve.
Weather and river conditions remain typical for this timeframe: sunny, very windy, and a yo-yo effect of mild to cold temperature swings. Wind blew hard and steady (westerlies up to 45 mph), but it can be a great ally when the sun is shining high in the sky. It hides bad casts and—with ultra-low water conditions—fishermen from being spotted by their quary.
Fishing has been great both throughout the day and into late-afternoon and evening. The big, fresh sea-runs are in and continue to seek shelter in deeper pools during the day. This required heavy tips to target fish hunkering in narrows channel etched into the river bottom. Skagit lines with short and heavy tips (up to 9 inches per second) produced the best results.
As for flies, it’s been a mix. One day they prefer leeches, the next prince nymphs or medium-size rubber legs. Experimentation is key.
Our fishermen included a group of Austrians and Germans who’ve been returning to Villa Maria for 10 years. Simply put, they reckon this week has been their best… so far.
Largest fish of the week: 25 lbs.
Fish over 20 lbs: 13
Fish over 15 lbs: 53Alejandro Martello
Villa Maria Lodge Fishing Manager
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Week 4: Jan 25-30, 2014
It was slow start to the week, with just a handful of fish landed due to rising water on the Rio Grande. But as the river levels retreated we had more takes from more big fish than we’ve seen all year. Several of these sea-run browns deserve spots on Villa Maria’s “Wall of Fame”, including a monster 33-pounder and a magnificent chrome 28-pound buck.There’s nothing better than reuniting with old friends for great fishing at Villa Maria Lodge. To close the month of January, we had familiar faces from Iceland, Switzerland, the U.S., and South Africa. The fish cooperated and it was nonstop fun.
It was slow start to the week, with just a handful of fish landed due to rising water on the Rio Grande. But as the river levels retreated we had more takes from more big fish than we’ve seen all year. Several of these sea-run browns deserve spots on Villa Maria’s “Wall of Fame”, including a monster 33-pounder and a magnificent chrome 28-pound buck.Cooler water than usual made sinking tips a must. Both shooting heads and Skagit lines worked well. We also fished an array of flies with success, but leeches and rubber legs were the top producers coming out the fly boxes.Largest fish: 33 poundsFish over 20 pounds: 11Fish over 15 pounds: 33Alejandro MartelloVilla Maria Lodge Fishing Manager
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Week 3: January 10-17, 2014
River conditions continue to be optimal with perfect levels, clear water, and prime temperatures. These combined factors have made for some happy sea-run browns, as well as anglers—who’ve been anticipating hookups on almost every cast.
We had a couple of windy afternoons, including one where speeds rocketed to 90km/h (60 mph). When wind is so high, waves in the river wash out beaches and clay banks compromising water visibility. But with some patience, a couple cups of coffee, and endless fishing stories we hunkered in the trucks until it dropped in the late afternoon… and the river gave us plenty of satisfaction, again.
As for techniques and tackle, we’re fishing mostly floating lines and sinking tips and experimenting with a wide variety of flies: from Green Machines to smaller nymphs and leeches. The biggest fish of the week was a 21-pound hen. Anglers also landed 19 fish weighing more than 15 pounds—all look like silver bullets… strong, thick, and fast!
Alejandro Martello
Villa Maria Lodge Fishing Manager
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Week 2: January 3-10, 2014
Water has been clear and levels are dropping daily. The good news is that fresh fish are arriving! Most of the sea-runs caught have been spotless, silver, and fresh and they’re running fast upstream. Some of the big boys are also showing up. A few 20+pound trout were caught, some were lost, and several over 15 pounds were landed.
For our second week at Villa Maria weather returned to seasonal norms. Showers were sporadic and short and always accompanied by winds from the west. Westerlies are great because they do not affect the fishing or carry stormfronts. Instead, they tend to bring in drier air from the Andes.
Water has been clear and levels are dropping daily. The good news is that fresh fish are arriving! Most of the sea-runs caught have been spotless, silver, and fresh and they’re running fast upstream. Some of the big boys are also showing up. A few 20+pound trout were caught, some were lost, and several over 15 pounds were landed.
We used different techniques and tackle during Week 2: from floating lines with sunray-shadow tubes to heavier sinking tips and leeches. Both produced. Of course, the traditionals such as Rio Grande rubber legs are a must throughout the day. Even summer patterns like the green machine are kicking in and proving their effectiveness.
Fish: Big fish for the week: 22 pounds; and 11 fish 15 pounds and over were landed.
Condition: All the fish were in great shape and most of them silver fresh!Alejandro Martello
Villa Maria Lodge Fishing Manager
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Week 1: December 28 – January 2, 2014
We began the 2014 season with the Rio Grande in very nice water level/ condition. However, opening week was affected by a storm system that threw us rain, cold, and nuking winds.
The winds (up to 65 km/h) changed direction daily, which made the choice of pools to fish a little harder than usual and tested the skills of both single- and double-handed rod fishermen. The water remained clear most of the days, with the exception of two days after some heavy rain. That extra water washed out some shoreline and we had a couple of days of dirt and algae drifting downstream, but it never made the river unfishable.
The spike in water levels, combined with cooler temps and decreased visibility made the fish “moody” and the takes were slow and lazy. This lead to many false strikes and several lost fish, but at the end of the day we found success by varying our techniques, which ranged from slow, shallow, and well-controlled swings with sunray shadow tube flies to fishing leech patterns down deep. We also experimented with floating, intermediate, and Type-6 sinking lines.
All the fish caught were in great shape, some of them a bit colored but most were silver and fresh. The biggest was a 14-pound hen.
Alejandro Martello
Villa Maria Lodge Fishing Manager
